Get the Perfect Haircut By Choosing the Right Bangs for Your Face Shape

If you’re interested in changing up your hairstyle, bangs may be the best way to go. It’s an easy way to change how you present yourself without getting rid of all your hair or making any other drastic hair changes. But you must choose the right bangs. Without the right bangs, you might end up having to wait until they grow out to really appreciate your hair again. Your face shape provides the perfect starting point when it comes to determining the right bangs for you. Choose the best bangs for your face shape with this little cheat sheet.

Determine Your Face Shape

Before you choose the bangs that best suit your face shape, you, of course, have to know what that face shape is. It’s relatively easy, and once you know your face shape, it’s just a matter of remembering. There are five traditional face shapes: round, oval, square, long, and heart-shaped.

A great way to determine your face shape is to pull your hair back from your face, then take a picture of yourself straight on. Then place dots at the very top, very bottom, and sides of your face. You should have a pretty clear image of your face shape. People don’t have square or heart-shaped faces, but if your face shape more closely resembles those shapes, it’s a good idea to lean into those tips.

Round Face

With a round face, you’ll have full cheeks and a shorter face. While your beautiful cheeks can make you look hearty and caring, you don’t want a bang style that will emphasize them. Straight bangs may emphasize your face’s fullness, so instead, go for side-swept bangs that are strong and draw attention to the cut of your hair. Angled bangs can also easily flow into the rest of your hair, especially if you have long, flowing locks.

Celebrities like Emma Stone and Kirsten Dunst rock this style of bang. Kirsten Dunst especially shows off how you can meld bangs into the rest of your hair for a seamless transition. If you want inspiration, look to them for a celebrity reference.

Oval Face

An oval face isn’t usually exactly oval; rather, your forehead is just a little wider than your jawline, which is slightly rounded. Good news for you: oval faces are some of the most versatile, so no bang style is off-limits. It’s all up to your personal preference.

With this style, just look around and see what type of bangs you like the most. Of course, celebrities that also have oval faces will give you the clearest style concepts. Beyoncé and Zooey Deschanel both offer a great look at how bangs might look on you.

Square Face

With a square face, your face will have the same or similar height and width. The rectangular face, a subset of this style, tends to be a little higher than it is wide, but it’s similarly angular, with a well-defined jawline. Short bangs tend to make your face look even longer, which might not be something you’re looking for; long, heavy bangs will instead shorten your face slightly and make it feel rounder.

Just because they’re long, however, doesn’t mean they have to be straight-cut. People love to wear heavy bangs in all sorts of ways. Kiera Knightley has worn her bangs straight and side-swept, pairing them with both short and long styles. Kate Hudson is another great celebrity example, as her bangs frame her face perfectly.

Long Face

A long face is very similar to an oval face, but the forehead, cheeks, and jaw are all the same width, rather than varied slightly. This can lengthen your face, and bang styles like baby bangs will enhance that elongation. Rather than short bangs, go for slightly longer ones that are shorter in the middle than on the edges.

For celebrity reference, you can check out Nicole Kidman’s long bangs, which work incredibly well with her specific face shape. Rihanna is another great celebrity example, as she’s gone with a variety of bang styles and general hairstyles over the years. Choose one that you love and ask your stylist about it next time you go for a cut.

Heart-Shaped

As you would probably guess, heart-shaped faces don’t make a literal heart shape. Rather, it’s indicated by a wider forehead, pointed jaw, and small chin. Styles that offer a full fringe across your forehead will likely accentuate that wideness, so instead try a layered look, with bangs that sweep to the side. This will draw more attention to your eyes rather than your forehead.

Reese Witherspoon is a good celebrity to look at here. Her style has stayed mostly the same for some years because she’s found an amazing style that works well for her. Kerry Washington is another celebrity icon that uses blunt, heavy bangs to draw attention down from her forehead.

Conclusion

There are all sorts of bang styles out there, and part of the fun of discovering your style is making sure you determine your style for yourself. When you’re moving from a hairstyle without bangs to a hairstyle with bangs, it’s important to remember that you’ll have to change up your routine a little bit. Bangs usually require a bit of prep work in the morning, and if you want to keep your look, you’ll need to trim them very regularly, typically every two to three weeks. But don’t let that dissuade you. Anyone can try on a brand new style with bangs, and if they’re calling to you, go for it.